Brixon Palomo, 17, said it took him years to come out to his family because he heard his father said that he’d rather die than have a gay son, ever. Palomo was 10 years old back then. But that changed in November 2016.

“Dad, you know I’m tired,” he remembers telling his father. “I’m tired of hiding myself from you guys. I’m tired of coming home to a house every day where it doesn’t feel like home and I just said it. I’m gay and I want you guys to know this.”

At the time, he said a friend of his just died and he wanted to tell his family what he was going through. Palomo, an incoming senior at Simon Sanchez High School, said a heavy burden was lifted off of his shoulder when his father told him he supports him and loves him.

Palomo was among the estimated 150 people who joined Guam’s first major pride march on Saturday from Pacific Star Resort and Spa to the Governor Joseph Flores Beach Park in Tumon for an afternoon of festivities.

The marchers wore splashes of rainbow on their hats, shirts, socks, tutus and flags, to celebrate tolerance and gay rights.

In several countries, June is unofficially recognized as LGBT Pride Month to commemorate the Stonewall Riots of 1969. The morning of June 28, 1969, New York City police raided the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar in Greenwich Village and the crowd fought back.

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Speaker BJ Cruz talks about his first pride march experience 22 years ago, when he and a few friends attempted to organize one.
Haidee Eugenio/PDN

Guam Legislature Speaker Benjamin Cruz, a former chief justice, said this is the first big pride march on Guam.

“But 22 years ago, my lover and I attempted to get a march together. We couldn’t get more than a dozen people to do it but we rode through the park here in my Jeep with the gay flag flying above us and on the stereo was ‘I am what I am’ blaring very loud but this is the first big march and I’m really happy to see that there are high school students here that feel comfortable enough to do this,” Cruz said.

James Servino, a volunteer for the LGBT organization ISA Guam, said Saturday was “historic” because it’s the first LGBT pride march for Guam.

Melissa Aguero said she joined the march to show that the gay community is part of the bigger community.

Zennia Pecina said she’s been taking part in pride parades on the mainland but this is her first time to experience one on Guam.

A group of friends and supporters of the LGBTQ community get together for a picture before Guam's first major pride march in Tumon on June 10, 2017. From left: Janielle Tandoc, Brixon Palomo, Riezzalyn Viray, and Maria Perez. Frank San Nicolas/PDN